Many trucks utilize overhead doors to close their rear vertical openings. For a deliveryman using a van equipped with an overhead door to make a delivery, he exits the cab, walks to the back of the truck, unlocks the latch, and rolls the overhead door into its open position. Sometimes he has to push it up from the ground level, othertimes if he's on a loading dock he can climb up to truck bed level, bend down and pull it up. During the course of a day, the deliveryman must perform this routine task countless times. As is common with many routine tasks, the manual operation of the overhead doors to trucks can benefit greatly by automation.
Automation of the operation of the overhead door would allow a deliveryman to initiate the opening of the door from the cab of the truck so that by the time he walks to the back of the truck the door is already on its way to being completely open. Automation also could ensure that when the door is closed it is automatically locked, avoiding a common error of neglecting to secure a latch. In addition, automation could increase both the security and the safety of operation of the door. Without activation, the door will remain in an open, closed, or semi-open position. Injuries from accidental openings or closing can be prevented by sensitizing the door so that any interference with the movement of the door will cause immediate stoppage. With automation, the operation of the door is much more controllable and greatly increases creature comfort vis a vis inclement weather and reduces back stress and injury.
The present invention serves to automate the operation of the overhead doors on trucks making it possible to reap the above enumerated advantages as well as others which would be obvious to those familiar with the operation of truck overhead doors.